PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20090098865A1
• Filed: 10/14/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Vaghi Family Intellectual Properties LLC
• Original Assignee: Vaghi Family Intellectual Properties LLC
• Inventors: Vaghi, Mary Burns, Vaghi, Nino R., Vaghi, Joseph P. III
• Application Number:
  US12/250,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20090098865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/417
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/006 Call diverting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A call control method includes receiving information to activate a call-redirecting function for a mobile terminal, activating the call-redirecting function in a service provider network of the mobile terminal, and performing a control function to redirect a call, placed to a telephone number of mobile terminal, to a telephone number of receiver based on the received information. The information received to activate the call may include at least the telephone number of the receiver which is different from a telephone number of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A call control method, comprising:

receiving information to activate a call-redirecting function for a mobile terminal, said information including at least a telephone number of a receiver different from a telephone number of the mobile terminal;

activating the call-redirecting function in a service provider network of the mobile terminal; and

performing a control function to redirect a call, placed to the telephone number of mobile terminal, to the telephone number of receiver based on the received information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is a hard-wired telephone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver is an IP terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received based on selections made in response to a control menu generated by the service provider network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the control menu is provided as a voice menu when a telephone number of the service provider network is dialed.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the control menu is provided on a website of the network service provider.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the control menu is provided through a network application performed on the mobile terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is received from a text message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the text message is an SMS message.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the text message is an e-mail.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions are communicated through the receiver for receipt by the network service provider.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the telephone number of the receiver in a subscriber information storage unit of the network service provider, wherein the call-redirecting function is activated by setting a flag used to control operations of the network service provider, the call-redirecting function to be performed based on the telephone number stored in the subscriber information storage unit.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said information further includes information indicating a time period during which the call-redirecting function is to be activated.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

automatically deactivating the call-redirecting function when said time period has elapsed.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the call-redirecting function after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring whether the call is answered by the receiver; and

when the call is not answered by the receiver, redirecting the call to another telephone number different from the telephone numbers of the mobile terminal and receiver.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting a signal to the mobile terminal indicating that the call has been redirected to said another telephone number.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the service provider network monitors whether the call is answered by the receiver unit, and when the call is not answered by the receiver the controller redirects the call to another telephone number different from the telephone numbers of the mobile terminal and receiver.

18. A call control system, comprising:

a receiver to receive information to activate a call-redirecting function for a mobile terminal;

a storage unit to store said information including at least a telephone number of a receiver unit different from a telephone number of the mobile terminal; and

a controller to activate the call-redirecting function in a service provider network of the mobile terminal, and to perform a control function to redirect a call, placed to the telephone number of mobile terminal, to the telephone number of receiver unit based on the received information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the information is received based on selections made in response to a control menu generated by the service provider network.